Marking 20 years since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant influence for many of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, however once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
The band previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
